The King's Men

Short Biography

The King's Men quartet was comprised of Ken Darby, arranger & bass; Rad Robinson baritone; Jon Dodson, lead tenor; Bud Linn, top tenor. Formed in Hollywood in 1929, they took their name from a radio sponsor named King. Their first engagement was as a singing foursome in the Paramount film "Sweetie." This led to other films and radio contracts. When the Boswell Sisters left Los Angeles station KFWB in 1932, the King's Men replaced them for two years.They achieved national prominence on radio and records as a feature of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. They sang with Paul Whiteman's Orchestra from 1934 until 1937. Whiteman also acted as their agent, and encouraged their musical activities outside his organization. They subsequently appeared on other broadcasts, including the Rudy Vallee program. They were heard, and sometimes seen, in many feature films, including "Sweetie" (My Sweeter than Sweet), "Hollywood Party" (Feelin' High) "Let's Go Native" (title song), "Belle of the Nineties" (Troubled Waters), "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the Y.M.C.A.) and "Murder at the Vanities" (Lovely One).